Roller-skate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A; SEGERBERCT.v I

ROLLER SKATE.

No. 527,164. I Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

WITNESSES: INVENTOI? A TTOHNEY.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A.. SEG-ERBERG.

ROLLER SKATE. N0. 527,164. Patented 0013. 9, 1894.

WITNESSES UNITED STAT S PATENT ()FFICEQ'J .IOHAN ALBERT SEGERBERG, OFDENVER, COLORADO.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFIGATIO1\i' formingpart of Letters Patent No. 527,164, datedOctober 9, 1 894. I Application filed July 6,1894. Serial No. 516,781.(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHAN ALBERT SEGER- BERG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRoller-Skates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the in-' vention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain improvements in roller skatesgand itsobject is to provlde a skate of a light and inexpensive construction,which will accommodate itself to the movements of the feet andby the useof which the skater will be enabled to turn without undue strain eitherupon the ankle or upon the skate itself.

The invention also contemplates the pro-- vision of a reversible tire,together with other details of construction, all of which will behereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawingsI have illustrated a skate embodyingmyimprovements, in which drawings- Figure I is a side .elevationof theskate, and Fig. II is a front view of the same. 4 Fig. 111 isatransverse, vertical section taken axially through the skate in theplane indicatedby the line at in Fig. I, and Fig. IV is a similarsection taken through-the padded ankle brace. Fig. V is a section of thetire, showing the reversible character of the same. Figs. III, IV and Vare drawn to a scale larger than that of Figs. I and II. I i

In the views 1', 1, represent two wheels con structed similarly tothewheels of a velocipede, and having each a metal rim 2 provided with a Vshaped groove in its outer face, wherein fits one angle of a rubber tire3, which is, in section, of a triangular form, having one curvedexterior face and two plane faces, as clearly seen in Fig. V. Byconstructing the tires in this manner, it is evident that after theyhave become worn at one angle they may be removed from the rims 2 andreversed, the tire on one wheel being substituted for that on the other.

The wheels 1, 1 are mounted on the 0pposite ends of a tubular axle 4,and the ends of the axle are set in difierent planes, being in clineddown'ward'at their outer extremities, so that the plane inner faces ofthe tires 3 contact withone another, as clearly seen in Fig. V, therebyrendering the two wheels at their point of contact with the groundsubderstood by inspection of Figs. II and V.

The axle 4 is formed in two sections, bypreference, and in order tosecure these sections together in an adjustable manner, each section isprovided at its inner end withadepending, tubular L.-shaped portion 5.The lower, horizontal arms 5', 5, of these L-shaped portionst5 extendtoward one another, and are provided with opposite interiorscrew-threadsstantially one wheel, 'aswill be readily un- I to receive the oppositelyscrew-threaded ends of a tie-rod or b21126 as clearly seen in Fig. 1H.By turning' the tie-bar 6 it' is evident the wheels 1 may be set nearertogether or farther apart, as desired. Thus it will be seen that awedge-shaped space is provided between the two wheels 1 and in thisspace,

which extends below the axle of the wheels, is arranged the foot-supportor shoe 7. The shoe has a metal bottom plateS'resting on the lower arms5' of the axle, andat its sides slotted metal straps 8', 8 are provided,the ends of which are adj ustably secured to the portions 5 of the axle.

In order to still further strengthen the At their outer ends,

ing portion"5 of the axle, ands'crews at its lower end into anoppositely threaded sleeve 10 guided in a bearing piece 11 projectingfrom the angle of the parts 5 and 5' of the axle, and screwingat itslower end into a screw-coupling 12, arranged below the hori zontalportion 5' as clearlyseen in Fig. III. The screw-couplings 12, 12, areconnected to one another by a tie-bar 13, havingo'ppo-' sitelyscrew-threaded ends,and by turning said tie bar the screw-couplings 12,12, may

be drawn nearer together or thrown farther apart so as to give greaterstrength to the axle at its outer ends. In order to support the heel andtoe portions of the foot-support or shoe 7, braces 14, are provided,each screwing at one end into one of the screw-couplings 12 and at itsother end into a socket formed on the under side of the bottom-plate 8of the shoe 7. There are or will be, by preference, four of these braces14, a heel and a toe-brace at each side of the shoe.

In order to secure the skate in place on the foot, shoe 7 is providedwith a suitable securing device 7' passing over the instep; and tofurther secure the skate, as well as to brace the ankle of the skater,and to prevent contact with the upper portions of the wheels in turning,I provide ankle braces comprising pads 15, having slightly tapered orconical sockets 16 to receive the upper ends of tubular supporting rods17. The pads may be locked fast by means of locking nuts 18 screwing onthe rods 17 over the upper ends of the tubular sockets 16. When saidnuts 18 are loosened, pads 15 may be turned around so as to receive theankle; and when said pads have been turned back so as to bear onopposite sides of the ankle, the nuts 18 may be tightened to lock thepadsin place. The rods 17 are each provided at the lower end with aperforated lug 19, through which passes a screw 20, serving to securethe rod to the inner end of one of the sections of the axle l.

The rods 17 swing on the screws 20 as pivots,

thereby accommodating themselves to the movements of the feet. In theopposite side of each rod 17 are formed two openings through which passthe threaded ends of a bent wire or rod 21, the ends of which passthrough slots 22formed in an arm or tongue 23 projecting substantiallyat right angles from a sleeve 24 loosely fitting the end of the axle 4just inside the wheel hub. Thumb nuts 25 screw on the ends of wire 21 sothat when said nuts are turned, rod 17 is clamped firmly to tongue 23.Thus it is evident that when said screws 25 are loosened, rods 17 may beadjusted so as to stand at greater or less angles to one another, andwhile held in the desired position, may be clamped fast by tighteningscrews 25.

In order to equalize the strain upon the wheels 1 and axle 4 in turning,and to prevent the whole weight from being thrown upon one wheel and oneend of the axle,

whereby the skate might be damaged or broken, I preferably provide therim 2 of one of the wheels with athin annular metal strip or rib 26,projecting at right angles from the inner plane face of the rim 2, asseen in Figs. II and V, and fitting, at the point of contactbetween thetwo wheels into a corresponding annular groove 27, formed in the rim ofthe other wheel, as clearly seen in Fig. V.

My invention is susceptible of considerable modification withoutmaterial departure from its principles and therefore I do not wish tolimit myself to the precise construction and arrangement heroin shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. Aroller skate consisting of two wheels set atangles to one another, their rims touch ing each other at their point ofcontact with the ground.

2. A roller skate consisting of two wheels set at angles to one another,their rims touching each other at their point of contact with theground, 'n combination with means'for adjusting the distance betweensaid wheels.

3. A roller skate consisting of two wheels set at angles to one another,their rims touching each other at their point of contact with theground, and of an intermediate foot-support arranged below the axle. it

l. In a roller skate, the combination wlth the axle having its oppositeends inclined downward, and having a depressed central portion, of thewheels mounted on the inclined ends of the axle outside of the depressedportion thereof, means for adjusting said wheels toward and from oneanother, and a foot-support mounted on the depressed central portion ofthe axle.

5. A roller skate consisting of two wheels set at angles to one another,their rims touching each other at their point of contact with theground, and provided with two rubber tires so constructed as to beinterchangeable.

6. A roller skate consisting of two wheels set at angles to oneanother,..their rims touchin g each other at their point of contact withthe ground, and provided with two rubber tires so constructed as to beinterchangeable, means for adjusting the distance between the wheels,and an intermediate foot-support arranged below the axle.

7. In a roller skate, the combination of the wheels, the axle formed intwo sections each provided at its inner end with a depending portionprovided with a screw-threaded bore, the tie-bar having oppositelyscrew-threaded ends fitting the respective screw-threaded bores, and thefoot-support mounted on the depending portions of the axle.

8. In a roller skate, the combination of the axle having a depressedcentral portion, the wheels mounted on the ends of the axle outside thedepressed central portion thereof, the foot-support mounted on thedepressed portion of the axle, a tie-rod extending down from each end ofthe axle outside the depressed portion thereof, screw-couplings mountedon the lower ends of said tie-rods below the depressed central portionof the axle, and a tiebar connecting the respective screwcouplings.

9. In a roller skate, the combination of the axle having a depressedcentral portion, the wheels mounted on the ends of the axle outside thedepressed portion thereof, the footsupport mounted on the depressedportion of the axle, tie-rods secured to the ends of the axle outsidethe depressed portion thereof, screw-couplings mounted on the lower endsof said tierods below the depressed portion of the axle, brace rodsextending from said screw-couplings to the toe and heel-portions of thefoot-support, and a tie-bar connecting the respective screw-couplings.

mounted on the inclined ends of the axle, the

adjacent faces of the wheel rims being in contact, one of said rimshaving an annular concentric groove and the other rim having an annularconcentric rib engaging said groove.

12. A roller skate comprising the foot-support 7 intermediate the wheels1, and provided with the adjustable ankle braces 17,

carrying the adjustable ankle pads 15, and pivotally supported by theends 4 of the axle.

13. In a roller skate, the combination of the axle, the wheels mountedthereon, sleeves collared on said axle between the wheels and providedwith slotted tongues, the supporting rods having on their inner sidesperforated lugs secured to the axle, andclamp screws for clamping saidsupporting rods to the slotted tongues on the sleeves.

l t. The combination with the wheels ar- 7 ranged to rotate in planes atangles to one another and having grooved rims provided with contactingsurfaces one having a con- 'centric groove and the other having aconcentric rib engaging said groove, of the tires mounted on the groovedrims and having in cross section a triangular form with planeinner'contacting surfaces.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. ALBERT SEGERBERG.

Witnesses:

- EWELL A. DIoK,

D. A. MGKNIGHT.

